1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric washing machine and more particularly to an electric washing machine which has a container type agitator with a plurality of convex portions formed on its inner surface and which can prevent damage to the laundry by agitating the laundry with the agitator and carry out washing efficiently.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional electric washing machine agitates the laundry by its pulsator. However, if there is less laundry, the pulsator may rotate excessively and cause damage to the laundry. On the other hand, when the amount of the laundry is large, the area of the pulsator which comes into contact with the laundry is small, and the pulsator rotates while hitting the laundry. Therefore, the laundry is damaged in this operation as well.
In order to address this problem, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 59-228892 discloses a washing machine which has a container type agitator provided in a washing tank. However, the washing machine disclosed in the publication only washes the laundry by rotating the container type agitator. Therefore, all pieces of the laundry which are at the bottom and top of the agitator cannot fully be washed unless the rotation of the agitator is increased. Further, at the time of washing and rinsing, water remains at the bottom of the agitator in this described washing machine. Since the water is not exchanged completely, washing, rinsing and/or dehydration have been unsatisfactory. In addition, the laundry may be jammed between the agitator and its peripheral fixed wall portion in this washing machine, and this may make the washing machine inoperable.